Dace as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Dace

What is the meaning of the name Dace ?

The baby name Dace is a Female name , 12 syllables long and is pronounced {'english': '/deɪs/', 'latvian': '/ˈdatse/ (approx. DAHT-seh)'}.

Dace is English, Latvian in Origin.

Dace is a Latvian feminine given name (pronounced DAH-tseh) that arose within the modern Latvian naming tradition. Its exact etymology is uncertain; some sources associate it with the Latvian forms of Dorothea (Dārta/Doroteja, “gift of God”), while others regard it as an independent Baltic creation without a transparent meaning. In Latvian it functions as a standalone name rather than a diminutive.

Use expanded in Latvia during the mid–late 20th century and remains well known through figures such as politician Dace Melbārde and writer Dace Rukšāne. Latvian affectionate forms include Dacīte and Daciņa; a rare masculine counterpart Dacis is attested. Outside Latvia, spellings like Dacey or Dacy sometimes surface, though they are etymologically distinct. In English contexts, the homonym with “dace,” a small river fish, adds a quiet nature-name association, and the name is occasionally treated as unisex.